Electronic frequency multiplying device



y 4, 1963 c. R. MOELLER 3,089,977

ELECTRONIC FREQUENCY MULTIPLYING DEVICE Filed April 13. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Z 9 INVENTOR.

CHARLES E. MoELLE/E BY @XRWWCLI/ M ATTORNEY C. R. MOELLER ELECTRONIC FREQUENCY MULTIPLYING DEVICE Filed April 13. 1959 May 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLfS R. MUELLER A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,977 ELEKITRONIC FREQUENCY MULTlPLYlNG DEVICE Charles R. Mueller, U-S. Nar'y, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, Calif. Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,063 6 Claims. (Cl. 315-21) This invention relates to an electronic frequency multiplying device utilizing an electron beam tube of the multiple anode type.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device for multiplication of a frequency by a given integer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which contains a minimum of circuit components, uses a minimum of space and requires a minimum of time in tuning.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which afiords a maximum of accuracy of performance and flexibility of usage for the multiplication of various frequencies.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device capable of producing any definite, but varied, wave form, or shape, as it may be determined by the anode configuration and deflection plate signal Wave shape.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which utilizes a multiple anode structure and deflection plates to produce a multiplication of the frequency controlling the lateral movement of the electron beam along said anode structure.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of this device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

in this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the :form considered to be the best but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied. a

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the frequency multiplying device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a frequency-multiplier tube having a difierent anode structure.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the anode structure of the tube shown in FIG. 2.

PEG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the output wave form produced by the anodes shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the anode structure of the tube shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the output wave form produced by the anodes shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front view of still another anode structure, and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the output wave form produced by the last mentioned anode.

In general my device includes an electron beam tube of the cathode-ray type which utilizes a multiple anode structure and a plurality of deflection plates to produce a multiplication of a frequency by controlling the lateral movement of the electron beam over said anode structure. The multiplication factor of said tube is determined and depends upon the number of the anodes in said tube, and also upon the arc of travel of the electron beam over said anodes. The tube is also provided with an indirectly heated electron emissive cathode with means of creating an oblong electron beam of certain length and width, said Efidfifi' Patented May 14, 1963 means including an accelerating electrode and a focusing electrode.

Means are also provided in said tube for keeping the speed of the electron beam constant while the Same is being deflected over the anode structure forth and back, which shall be hereinafter referred to as the anode field screen.

The anode field screen is positioned in back of the anodes, as seen from the cathode, and is held at a potential more positive than the anodes in proportion to their respective distances from the field of influence of the deflection plates. The anode field screen electrode serves to keep the anode electric field constant under variations of anode potential due to current changes through the plate load caused by impingement of electrons on the anodes.

The density of the electron beam may be controlled, or modulated, by a control grid.

The tube may have patches, or spots, of electroluminescent material imbedded in or about the anode field screen so that the limits of the arc, over which the electron beam is swung, may be noted visually by the presentation of a glow when the electron beam strikes one or more of said patches. This is particularly desirable when a slight adjustm-ent of deflection voltages is to be made.

in detail, my device, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, includes a vacuum tube 10 having an envelope 11 containing an electron emissive cathode 12. The cathode 12 emits an electron beam 20 which is controlled by a grid 13, accelerated by an electrode 14, focused by electrodes 16 (and 17 and deflected within a certain angle by deflecting plates 18 and 19.

The anode field structure includes anodes 21 and 22 located opposite the cathode 12 and an anode field screen 23 arranged in back of said anodes. The anode field screen 243 may have patches 24 of electroluminescent material thereon for the purpose which shall be described in detail hereinafter.

The associated circuits contain a conventional power supply, not shown in the drawing, which is connected to terminals 25 and which power supply furnishes the required voltages for operation of the electron beam circuits and the tube generally.

The above circuits also include an input circuit consisting of input terminals 3% an input developing amplitude potentiometer 31, direct current blocking capacitor 32, an input balance potentiometer 33, which potentiometers control the amplitude and balance of the input frequency signal level and direct the same to a phase-splitting circuit. The latter consists of bias resistors 35 and 36, triode amplifiers 39 and 40 with grids 41 and 42, cathodes 43 and 44, anodes 45 and 46, envelopes 47 and 48, resistors Sit and 51 and load resistors 52 and 53 respectively.

The aforementioned components are selected to have such values .as to provide output voltages at terminals 56 and 57, connected to the deflection plates 18 and 19 respectively, winch voltages are electrical degrees out of phase with one another.

For operation of the device as a frequency multiplier, the anodes 21 and 22 are electrically connected by a wire 26. The anode current is measured at a terminal 27 by voltage changes across a resistor 65. There should be a sufficiently positive potential on the anodes and the anode field screen in respect to the cathode potential so that the emitted electrons will be drawn from the cathode 12 toward the anodes 21 and 22 and the anode field screen 23. The anode field screen 23 is held at a potential more positive than the anodes 21 and 22 in proportion to their respective distances from the field of influence of the deflection plates. There also should be a positive average potential in respect to the cathode potential on the control grid 13; a positive potential in a a respect to cathode potential on the accelerating electrode 14, so that the electron beam is drawn in direction of the anode area; and signals of the frequency to be multiplied should be impressed upon the deflection plates in such a manner that the electron beam will be deflected within certain anode areas. The focusing electrodes 16 and 17 should be fixed at such a position and held at such a potential that an electron beam of desired width is allowed to pass toward the anode area. The Width of the electron beam 28, as shown in FIG. 5, is equal to the gap between said anodes 21 and 22.

The electron beam 21 passes between the deflection plates 18 and 19 as it travels toward the anode area. A signal of the frequency to be multiplied, rotating through 360 electrical degrees, is impressed upon the deflecting plate 18, and a signal of the same frequency but 180 electrical degrees out of phase is simultaneously impressed upon the opposing deflection plate 19. Due to these signals, the electron beam 21 is bent first toward one deflection plate and then toward the other deflection plate in phase with the more positive signal. The electron beam, as it is swung through an arc intersects various anode areas which are marked 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64.

The position and the amplitude of the are, through which the beam is deflected, and the number and the configuration of the anodes it intersects determine the multiplication factor and the Wave form produced. The magnitude and position of the are through which the electron beam passes ay be varied by the balance 33 and the amplitude control 31 of the input signal to the two triodes 39 and 40 which produce the deflection plate signal alternations as above said.

The electron beam while travelling over the anode areas 60-64 will strike and will be totally intercepted by the anode field screen in the areas 60, 62 and 64. Within the areas 61 and 63 the electron beam will be totally intercepted by the anodes 21 and 22, as clearly shown in FIG. 5. In the areas between the above mentioned areas the electron beam is partially intercepted by the anode field screen 23 and partially by one of said anodes, depending on the position of said beam.

For frequency multiplication the anodes 21 and 22 are positioned in a circular plane the radius of which is equal to the distance from the center between the deflecting plates 1819 to the anodes 21--22. The electron beam, as it swings in an are over the various anode areas, lends its current to those portions of the anodes 21 and 22 and the anode field screen 23, which it is striking at a particular moment, in direct proportion to the area of each electrode so struck by the electron beam.

The following is a description of the device adapted for frequency multiplication by a factor of four. Referring to FIG. 1, the electron beam device emits a beam of electrons from indirectly heated cathode 12, which beam is accelerated by the positive potentials of electrodes 13 and 14 and passes through the focusing electrodes 16 and 17 whereby the electron beam is focused to a certain width. Then, the beam, being drawn toward the more positive potentials of the anodes 21 and 22 and the anode field screen 23, passes through the area between the deflection plates 18 and 19 and it is deflected to the left or to the right depending on the potentials thereon, and ultimately strikes said anodes and/or the anode field screen 23.

While the electron beam is intersecting the area 60, the electrons impinge totally upon the anode field screen 23. The beam swings to the right and the electrons begin to impinge upon the anode 21 also. The latter and the anode 22, as shown in FIG. 5, are sextagonal in shape, each having two opposite angular sides on the central horizontal axis of said anodes. The electron beam begins to impinge upon the angled area of the anode and then gradually impinges upon an ever increasing area until the electron beam covers the central portion (the area 61) of the anode 21, at which moment the maximum of the electrons impinge upon said anode. The further movement of the electron beam 20 to the right causes a gradual decrease in the area of anode 21 intersected by said electron beam until the beam comes to the area 62 when the electrons of the beam strike the anode field screen 23 only. With further movement to the right the electron beam intersects the anode 22, and more and more electrons are intercepted by the latter anode until the beam 29 occupies the area 63, at which moment the maximum of electrons impinge upon said anode. Thereafter, as the beam moves further to the right the interception of electrons by the anode 22 gradually is reduced to zero at which moment the electron beam occupies the area 64.

Then the electron beam 20 begins to travel in the opposite direction and again the interception of electrons by the anode 22 increases, reaches its maximum and decreases to zero. With further movement to the left the interception of electrons by the anode 21 increases to its maximum and then decreases to zero. Since the current passing through the load resistor 65, is a direct function of the number of electrons intersecting the anodes 21 and 22, the total anode current will vary directly in proportion to the area of the anode upon which the electron beam impinges. If a measurement of the anode field screen current is taken at a terminal 28, the same will be out of phase with the anode current measured at terminal 27.

Hence, the current through the load resistor 65 increases and decreases, and again increases and decreases while the electron beam travels to the right and also twice increases and decreases during its travel to the left. Therefore, for each complete alternation of the input frequency, there are four complete alternations of the maximum and minimum current conditions through the anode load resistor 65. Thus, for each one cycle input there are four cycles of the output, equivalent to a multiplication by the factor of four.

If the arc of swing of the electron beam is limited by the amplitude and balance controls 31 and 33 respectively, and the deflection plates 18 and 19 to the are comprising areas, 61, 62, 63 and 64 only, or to 60, 61, 62 and 63 only, then for each alternation of the input frequency, three alternations of output current will be obtained, which amounts to a multiplication factor of three.

Accordingly, if the arc of swing of said beam is limited to the areas 61, 62 and 63, a frequency multiplication of the input frequency by the factor of two will result, and

the are covering the areas 61 and 62 produces a frequency multiplication of one.

Following the same line of reasoning, a frequency multiplier vacuum tube with one anode may be used for multiplication factors of two and one. A tube with three anodes may be used for multiplication factors of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1.

The maximum multiplication factor is limited only by the number of anodes which may be conveniently and effectively placed in the tube within the are over which the electron beam swings. The maximum multiplication factor of any tube is equal to two times the number of the anodes placed therein.

The output wave shape, or form, is determined by the anode plate configuration and the wave shape of the input signal.

FIG. 2 shows a tube 70 having two anodes 71 and 72 rectangular in shape and equal in area and electrically connected and operated as in the heretofore described tube 10. Said anodes are separated by a gap 74 of substantially the same width as either of said anodes.

The electron beam 75 used in said tube 70 is of the size and Width of one of said anodes. When the electron beam 75 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, no electrons will be intercepted by the anode 71. If the electron beam 75 starts to move to the right at a constant speed,

the increase of the number of electrons striking said anode 71 will be in proportion to the area of the intersection of said anode by said electron beam. The latter area shall increase in simple proportion to the arc covered by said beam. It will reach its maximum when the whole anode 71 shall be covered by said electron beam, and thereafter will decrease the same way. Therefore, the shape of the output wave 76 will be substantially triangular, as shown in FIG. 4.

The shape of the output wave 77 created by the anodes 21 and 22 of the tube is sinusoidal, as the increase and decrease in the arc of intersection of either of said anodes by the electron beam will be substantially in geometrical proportion.

FIG. 7 shows still another form of anodes 78 and 79 and of an electron beam 31, while FIG. 8 shows the form of an output wave 82 produced by said beam traveling over said anodes.

By varying the shape of the anodes practically any desirable shape of output wave form may be produced. Hence, the above described device multiplies the frequency of the input signal, and, in addition thereto, may change the shape of the output wave, or it may only change the shape of the same depending upon the number and the shape of the anodes in the device and the arc of deflection of the electron beam. The width of the electron beam is also important, as the shape of the output wave depends upon the same: the electron beam may be made narrow so as to intersect the anodes one at a time, and even at some time intervals, or it may be made sufliciently wide to intersect two or more anodes at some moments. The resultant output waves will be of different shapes.

The luminescent areas 24 on the anode field screen 23 are so positioned that portions of the electron beam will strike them when the electron beam swings beyond the desired arc, which fact is made easily detectable by said luminescent areas, thus permitting easy adjustment through said amplitude and balance controls 31 and 33 respectively.

This device may also be used as an amplifier in which the output wave is substantially increased in current without changing the shape or the frequency of the input wave.

I claim:

1. A device for multiplication of an input frequency comprising a cathode-ray type tube having means for developing a cathode-ray beam; an anode structure including an anode field screen disposed opposite said means, and a plurality of anode plates disposed between said screen and said means; said screen having a more positive electric potential than said anode plate; a plurality of beam deflecting electrodes; an input frequency responsive means connected to said beam deflecting electrodes for providing alternate electric potential therein for deflecting said electron beam continuously and uni- 'formly forth and back over said anode structure with each input alternation, means associated with the second mentioned means for varying the magnitude and the position of deflection of said electron beam over said anode structure; said electron beam impinging upon said anode plates on each sweep forth and back generating electric impulses therein, the maximum number of said impulses being equal to double the number of the anode plates so impinged by said beam with each sweep.

2. A device as described in claim 1, said anode plates being of certain shape, the latter being determined by the desired form of the output pulse to be produced.

3. A device for multiplication of an input frequency comprising a cathode-ray tube having means for developing a cathode-ray beam; an anode structure including an anode field screen disposed opposite said means, and a plurality of anode plates disposed between said screen and said means; said screen having a more positive electric potential than said anode plates; a pair of beam deflecting electrodes; an input frequency responsive means connected to said beam deflecting electrodes for splitting each input frequency into two identical signals out of phase with each other and impressing said signals on said electrodes simultaneously for continuously and uniformly deflecting said beam one way and another way for each input alternation; said electron beam impinging upon said anode plates on each sweep forth and back generating electric impulses therein, the maximum number of said impulses being equal to double the number of the anode plates so impinged by said beam with each sweep.

4. A device for changing the shape of the wave form comprising a cathode-ray tube having means for developing a cathode-ray beam; an anode structure including an anode field screen disposed opposite said means, an anode plate disposed between said screen and said means; said screen having a more positive electric potential than said anode plate; a pair of beam deflecting electrodes, an input frequency responsive means connected to said beam deflecting electrodes for providing alternate electric potential therein for deflecting said electron beam continuously and with uniform speed forth and back over said anode structure with each input alternation, said electron beam impinging upon said anode plate on each sweep forth and back generating electric impulses therein, the output wave form being determined by the anode plate configuration and the wave shape of the input signal.

5. A device for multiplication of an input pulse by a given integer comprising a cathode-ray tube having means for generating an electron beam, an anode structure including an anode field screen disposed opposite the last mentioned means, and a plurality of anode plates disposed between said screen and said means; a pair of beam deflecting electrodes; an input pulse responsive means connected to said beam deflecting electrodes for splitting the input pulse into two identical signals 180 out of phase with each other and impressing said signals on said electrodes simultaneously for deflecting said beam one way or another for each input alternation, said latter means including a pair of triode tubes, the grids of which are interconnected through an input balance potentiometer, a pair of bias resistors connected to said grids and cathodes, and a plurality of resistors; said electron beam impinging upon said anode plates on each sweep forth and back and generating electric impulses therein the number of which is equal to the input frequency multiplied by an integer which is dependent upon the number of the plates impinged by said beam on each sweep of said plates forth and back.

6. The device as described in claim 5, wherein the anode plates are of preselected form determined by the desired form of the output pulse to be produced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,506 Soller Sept. 14, 1937 1,757,345 Strobel May 6, 1930 2,053,268 Davis Sept. 8, 1936 2,086,904 Evans July 13, 1937 2,194,547 Haines Mar. 26, 1940 2,221,743 Wagner Nov. 12, 1940 2,391,967 Hecht Jan. 1, 1946 2,532,747 Van Gelder Dec. 5, 1950 2,545,123 Tolson Mar. 13, 1951 2,571,723 Jonker Oct. 16, 1951 2,644,909 De Beurs July 7, 1953 2,675,500 Kuchinsky Apr. 13, 1954 2,695,974 Skellet Nov. 30, 1954 

1. A DEVICE FOR MULTIPLICATION OF AN INPUT FREQUENCY COMPRISING A CATHODE-RAY TYPE TUBE HAVING MEANS FOR DEVELOPING A CATHODE-RAY BEAM; AN ANODE STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN ANODE FIELD SCREEN DISPOSED OPPOSITE SAID MEANS, AND PLURALITY OF ANODE PLATES DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SCREEN AND SAID MEANS; SAID SCREEN HAVING A MORE POSITIVE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL THAN SAID ANODE PLATE; A PLURALITY OF BEAM DEFLECTING ELECTRODES; AN INPUT FREQUENCY RESPONSIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BEAM DEFLECTING ELECTRODES FOR PROVIDING ALTERNATE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL THEREIN FOR DEFLECTING SAID ELECTRON BEAM CONTINUOUSLY AND UNI- 